Foreigner assurance service

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) would like to bring to the attention of customers the importance of properly and accurately capturing the details of foreign national persons, on the Foreigner Assurance platform. The integrity and accountability of the information contained in the company registry and the use of such information by other services and organizations relies on accurate and up to date information. Ensuring the correct identification of foreign nationals is crucial in applying security measures and adhering to public regulations, particularly in relation to the appointment of directors and members who may be disqualified due to suspected involvement in activities such as terror financing, money laundering, and other offences. The assurance of such information is therefore of national importance. 

Although we understand that the new concept of foreigner verification, may have caused some difficulties for our clients, it is important to note that the verification and validation of the identity and nationality of natural persons is an international standard.

The purpose of this notice is to address some general challenges encountered during the Foreigner Assurance process, to improve its overall efficiency. These challenges include but are not limited to:

  • The country selected from the drop-down menu MUST correspond to the country that issued the passport or foreign identity document (not the nationality of foreign national). Only select British from the dropdown menu if the passport or foreign identity document was issued by The British Indian Ocean Territory, for United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Irelands, select Great Britain from the dropdown.
  • The service only allows a single attachment to be uploaded (i.e., single passport / foreign identity document).

The dtic Campus (Block F – Entfutfukweni), 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria l P O Box 429, Pretoria, 0001

Call Centre: 086 100 2472 Website: www.cipc.co.za

  • Full names and surnames must be provided, not maiden or birth Again, the full names and surnames MUST correspond to those on the passport or identity document. Do not add or disallow any names when capturing the information.
  • If a passport is used, the expiration date must be completed when capturing the information. It is only a foreign identity document that may not have an expiration date. The application will be rejected if the passport indicates an expiration date, and such was not captured.
  • Foreign nationals that have a South African identify document, they do not have to go through this service as such a person has been verified through the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) as part of the application process, therefore such information is contained with DHA.
  • When capturing the passport number, ensure that zeros are captured instead of the letter “o”, and distinguish between the number “1” and the letters “L” and “I.”
  • Certified/Notarized copies of the original documents must be provided, clearly stating that they are true copies of the original, either using a stamp or a handwritten These copies must also meet the CIPC certification requirements as stipulated in Practice Note 2 of 2022. For instance, the certification must not be older than three months, it must be dated, and the commissioner of oath must be identifiable (including full name, surname, and designation) and traceable (including address).

Link to the notice:

https://www.cipc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Practice_Note_-CERTIFICATION_2.pdf

  • If the certification, notarization, or apostille is in a language other than English, a translation must be provided in English.
  • We kindly request customers not to submit multiple applications by changing the captured If a capturing error has occurred, a correction request must be sent to enqforeignerassurance@cipc.co.za . Due to security measures surrounding the information, it cannot be updated from the customer side but requires manual oversight and intervention.
  • While preparing for the release of the Foreigner Assurance process and its integration into other services, it was not possible for the CIPC to identify all cases of notarized, apostilled, and certified documents originating from other countries. This has resulted in some inconsistencies and rejections, for which CIPC is actively working to improve its understanding of these variances with the foreigner assurance team, and efforts are underway to establish an internal guideline of accepted documents to enhance processing quality.
  • Only enquiries submitted via the correct enquiry mailbox will be attended to within 5 (five) working days from receipt. If an inquiry has not been addressed within 5 (five) working days, the escalation procedure outlined below may be followed.

Escalation Procedure for Foreigner Assurance Inquiries:

If there is no response within five working days, move to the second tier.

If there is no response within three working days, move to the third tier.

The service standard for processing a Foreigner Assurance application is 2 (two) working days but may fluctuate depending on volumes and integration with other services of the CIPC.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused and assure you that we are committed to providing an efficient service.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Notice 37 of 2024